Ken Jeong opens up about his career path from the medical field into comedy acting, his recent roles, and representation in Hollywood
- Comedian, actor, and former physician Ken Jeong spoke with Business Insider last week about his partnership with Heineken 0.0, the company's non-alcoholic beer, for National First Responders Day.
- Jeong is known for his comedic roles in movies like "The Hangover," "Pineapple Express," and "Knocked Up." He also recently starred in the blockbuster movie "Crazy Rich Asians," the first major Hollywood movie with an all-Asian cast in 25 years.
Ken Jeong has become a recognizable face in Hollywood over the past decade - with a long list of roles in comedies like "The Hangover" and "Knocked Up," to a recent Netflix stand-up special and a role in the blockbuster film "Crazy Rich Asians."
What is less known about Jeong is how he actually transitioned into acting from studying and practicing medicine, and began following his passion by doing stand-up while in medical school.
Jeong's recent roles in "Crazy Rich Asians" and the ABC sitcom "Fresh Off the Boat" feature all-Asian or majority-Asian casts, and have been credited with redefining the way Asian characters and actors are portrayed in Hollywood.
Business Insider sat down with Jeong to talk about his transition from being a doctor to a Hollywood actor, his recent roles and representation in Hollywood, his family, and how he's choosing to honor those in the medical field by partnering with Heineken for National First Responders Day.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Isabella Paoletto: Can you talk a little bit about your partnership with Heineken, your role, and why you decided to do it?
Ken Jeong: Yes, I am celebrating First Responders Day, and I used to be a physician, and as a medical professional I know first-hand the importance of first responders. They are the most valuable team [and] part of the healthcare team because if I'm admitting a patient into a hospital, they're the ones taking in the patient to the ER, giving me information, you know, "28 year old male with shortness of breath, pain, coughing," and they're giving me all the necessary tools for me to make the diagnosis - and at the same time they're saving that patient's life. They've stabilized that patient.
So to me, they have to assess and they have to save, and they never get the credit they deserve. And for me that that's why this cause is near and dear to my heart, because they deserve the most recognition of all of us, and I can't think of a better way to partner up with Heineken 0.0 and just honestly for National First Responders Day, alcohol-free beer, so right call when you're on call.
Paoletto: So, my grandpa actually used to be a doctor and said that he would drink non-alcoholic beer when he was on call. Did you often drink non-alcoholic beer, or have colleagues who did when they were on call?
Jeong: I definitely had colleagues that did, and I think it's a very, very healthy way to decompress when you're on call and you can't drink alcohol, and that's so cool that your grandfather did that. Our campaign represents really your grandfather and what he does - it's like when you're on call, you want to decompress, but you want to do it, obviously, in a way that that makes sense as the right call when you're on call.
Paoletto: I wanted to talk a little bit about your transition from the medical field into acting. Why did you decide to make that career change?
Jeong: I always had a passion for performing, so even when I was in college. I was pre-med. Yeah, a lot of people don't know this, but I was doing a lot of theater as well and I had gotten bitten by the acting bug in college. I never did any acting in high school or anything like that. I didn't know I even had it in me to perform. So, I was definitely a late bloomer, and I didn't know where I was going to go with this. All I knew was I just had a deep, deep love of performing. I felt like I had an aptitude for it, but more importantly, I had a passion for it.
I had a very complicated life, you know, or at least in my head I did, where I was in medicine, on a medical track, and it was a very, very heavy time because I basically had two loves and two passions and how to reconcile that? The only advice I could give is just don't ever think about the end result. Doesn't matter. There is probably a parallel universe out there where a guy like me is a physician and maybe just doing some stand-up comedy on the side. I was incredibly happy doing that, you know.
Paoletto: I know your wife is also a physician. How does she feel about you working with Heineken for National First Responders Day?
Jeong: Oh yeah, no, I run everything by my wife and she was definitely very much in favor for it, and she saw the campaign and everybody in that like campaign ad, they're all real life first responders. And I surprised these first responders, they didn't know it was me.
So, it was a really cool experience. So to me, my wife's been very supportive of it, and I even showed her the end product as well. We're partners, you know, I could not do this without her. She again is another unsung hero.
Paoletto: You also have two daughters, around 12 years old. Have they seen any of your work? Are there any roles of yours that they hate or love?
Jeong: It's so funny, they love "Community." They love every episode of "Community," and they don't like my character, like when they see my character, it's like they want to fast forward it, and even my daughters actually ask me, "Am I insulting you if you're not my favorite 'Community' character or if we watch episodes that don't feature you?," you know?
I think you bring up a good point, though, if you're a child of an entertainer. Yeah, I know I probably won't make them laugh as much because they're just annoyed by me anyway, so I think you know, familiarity breeds contempt. You know, that's something I heartily accepted. Yeah, that's just part of the deal.
Paoletto: How has the transition to fame been for your family?
Jeong: Well, they can't make eye contact ever, especially in private, you know that. [laughs]. And I have a Fortress of Solitude that I built in the house that's just for me. But other than that, I think my wife has done the most amazing job of just kind of, and I'm on board with this too, that we tell our kids, "Look, I have an odd job, and the job is just slightly different but the principles of life is the same."
Let's say I was still practicing medicine full-time, to me how we are trying to raise our children, raise a family, it's exactly the same. We just, we want them to pursue what they want to do. We want them to be disciplined at what they do, we want them to excel in school, but we also want them to follow their passions, whether it be in academics or in the arts or in athletics, whatever it is.
I think my legacy as a parent is encouraging my kids to think outside of the box. My whole livelihood is thinking outside the box and not doing something that's typical, and I want my family, I want my kids to embrace their uniqueness, even if it's something no one else does, or no one else thinks you can do.
Paoletto: So, your Netflix standup recently came out and you've been in many great comedies, you know, "The Hangover" and "Pineapple Express." Do you plan on continuing to focus on comedy, or do you see yourself transitioning out of comedy into different types of roles?
Jeong: That's a great question. I would love to do - again I don't think of the end product like, "Oh, I have to do a period piece, or I have to do a drama" - but I would love to do a period piece, and I would love to do a drama.
I always just try to find a way to maximize whatever opportunity I have before me, but I also, I don't want to limit myself to those things that I haven't done. There might be some things similar to what I've done before that I can find some unique form of joy. So to me, I just want to find a way to just maximize the joy of whatever scenario. Like I never thought in a million years I would do a show like "The Masked Singer," to do a panel show, that's never been in the cards for me, and it's the best decision I ever made. You know, it's my mom's favorite show in Korea because it's based on the Korean show with the same name, and I'm having the most fun, ever, like I'm thoroughly enjoying every second of it.
What I'm learning as I get older, it's just you know, man, it's just nothing wrong with going with the flow and finding enjoyment and opportunity and happiness there because you'll get it, and you'll get happiness in the most unexpected places.
Paoletto: You've also recently starred in "Crazy Rich Asians" and you've been in "Fresh Off the Boat," which have both done a lot to redefine previous stereotypes of Asian characters in Hollywood. In your personal experience, do you see more representation in the industry? Do you see the roles changing and becoming more diverse for people of color?
Jeong: Well, I think first of all, "Fresh Off the Boat" is one of the most important shows on television for Asian-Americans, and if it wasn't for that show, I wouldn't have my own sitcom, "Dr. Ken," that was on for two years. I created that show, and that was my big mission was to have more representation.
And then "Crazy Rich Asians," man, that just to me, that may be the most important movie I've ever done because it wasn't about me - it was about my kids' future. It was about, really, the future of Asian Americans in entertainment. And because of that film, you have Awkwafina just crushing it right now. You have Gemma Chan, Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Ronny Chieng, and now even outside the "Crazy Rich Asians" circle, you have Ali Wong, who I think for my money is the best Asian-American comic right now, and she did a movie with one of my best friends, Randall park, for Netflix, "Always Be My Maybe."
There's more representation than ever, but we still have a long ways to go. I mean, also Bowen Yang of "SNL." He's the first Chinese American cast member. He's a dear friend, and he's my favorite member of "SNL." He's just crushing it right now. He's just so funny, and I I watch the show because of him. So the representation, it is getting better. We still have a long ways to go, but it's getting better and better, and it's exciting.